A marriage that goes the distance of a lifetime requires keeping the relationship strong, and the knowledge of what it takes to do that for each one, since strength looks different from one relationship to another. But one type of marriage can be especially challenging to keep strong, healthy, and close: the military marriage.
Many times our servicemen and women come home from protecting our freedoms to spouses and children they barely know – a price that can be tough to pay. So how do we protect, strengthen, and fortify our military marriages?
A guest post on one my favorite marriage blogs, Happy Wives Club, highlighted this subject today, and I”m honored to share part of it with you here. The guest writer is a young military wife who is passionately working to keep her marriage strong. Kathryn Sneed offers “5 Ways to Keep Your Military Marriage Strong”.
Communication
Kathryn notes that the reason we hear that “communication is the key to a good relationship” is because it is true! Marriages made in the military are by nature stressful, and communication is the only door by which you can effectively walk through marriage.
Savor Your Moments Together
Kathryn makes an astute observation that moments together can often feel like nothing more than a countdown to when your spouse leaves again. Instead, learn to cherish these times. Go dancing, go to dinner, go on a vacation, but whatever you do, live, laugh, and love with all your heart.
Understanding and Patience are Key
The military lifestyle can take its toll on a marriage, and stress can creep in when you are unaware. “Being understanding will help lessen the tension between you and your spouse, and being patient will help both of you learn to get through each day and each tough time, step by step.”
Make the Best of the Time Apart
Kathryn suggests that you use the inevitable time apart to not pull away from your spouse, but to learn about him or her, and by setting goals to accomplish while he or she is away. Learn to encourage one another through times of separation, and find out how to love one another more fully.
You may notice there are only four out of the five keys paraphrased here. For the missing key and the full article in the writer”s words, go here.
